10,000 Promises
by Pas d'Autres
Summary: Quite frankly, Eren just wanted a mind-blowing, out of this universe fairy-tale to write on for his mythology report. It was a personal mission to impress Levi with his deep analysis and diligent research. What he got was a physical form of the fabled man, 'Humanity's Strongest', emerging right out of the book and looking awfully identical to his TA.
1. Hello

Title: Hello

AN: 'He knew that look—Levi rarely got pissed at the students but the times he does, there was silent poison in his glare in which you didn't want to be at the receiving end of. Right now, it was mixed with weary confusion, direct accusations, and utter annoyance. Maybe even a little intent to kill.

"What the hell did you do this time brat?"'

.-.

_This is more of a diary than an observation journal, so to speak. Captain was the one who suggested it, he said it helps deal with the last of my sanity. Why not? I have little personal belongings of my own and tomorrow may be the day I die._

_All of them agreed, even suggested that I write this like a story, so when we look back on it, we'll remember all the crazy adventures we were pulled into._

_I figured if they wanted a story, then we might as well start from the beginning, with the fall of Shiganshina._

.-.

He listened to a recently-uploaded episode from _RadioLab, _a Halloween-themed retelling of some "true event" involving ghosts and all that paranormal jazz. Eren found it hard to believe—the woman claimed to have talked to her dead parents for god's sake.

But it was a moment of magic, she said. A moment she'd keep in her memories, whether if it really happened or it was all just in her head.

Eren didn't believe in magic. He may be fascinated in mythology and the supernatural, watched horror movies all the time, and went along with Armin's obsession for alchemy, but none of that stuff was real at the end of the day. All results of humankind's unlimited imagination.

But he was sure, that years later when he'd think back, he'd say the same thing. How it was a moment of magic, a moment he would hold preciously in his memories.

How he had laid butt-flat on the carpet that night, stoned to the marrows of his bones with a hand outstretched in a pathetic attempt to save his life. No sound had escaped his tight throat, nothing could. Not even the tiniest pathetic whimper that maybe could, you know, spare a life.

How _he_ came crashing in, all in his military glory of hard muscles, tight leather straps and the tell-tale insignia of the 'Wings of Freedom' flying on his back, with of course not one but two sharp blades pointed towards his neck. The much uncomfortable contact wasn't the first thing that crossed Eren's mind; what cut Eren cold-turkey was the terrifying resemblance of the very person he regarded highly of.

Standing in front and high above him was his teacher's assistant, Levi Ackerman.

"What the hell did you do this time brat?"

Eren would like to know too, thank you very much. All he wanted was to find a good story to read—

.-.

Jean said he worked too hard.

Stayed on top of things, put in his 200 percent when the most you could ever get back was 100. University was different, another type of freedom they experienced so to speak. Yet Eren still kept up with voluntary homework, still read every page of assigned reading, still attended all lectures like a good little boy. Jean wondered where he got the time to do all the 'unnecessary shit' (quote unquote) when most students struggled to have enough sleep.

And sleep was precious. The very thing that determined your sanity by the end of a semester and many sacrificed much tears and blood to keep their minds at bay.

Not Eren.

See, when one accidently sleeps in and is half an hour late for a lecture, one crawls back into the burrows of his bed with a mindset of 'fuck it, I'll get notes from someone later'. But not Eren.

The door slammed open and he cringed at the loud bang it caused, not to mention the drawn-out creak that echoed across the enormous lecture hall. Stupid old building and its 200 year old history; someone needed to start a petition for a nice face-lift for this school or it was going to fall apart.

"Late again Jaeger."

His TA's monotone voice echoed across the room and Eren tried his best to fight down the redness creeping up his neck. No prevail—heated waves were already rolling across his cheeks. He only dipped his head in apology, loose strands of his poorly-tied hair coming apart, and quickly finds a seat beside Jean, who's giving that stupid smirk.

"Rough night?"

"Yeah, Shakespeare was pretty difficult to win over," Eren said, noting the thin pile of paper lying innocently on his desk. "What I miss?"

It didn't really look like Jean was paying much attention, his fingers professionally punching away at the game-boy hidden so discretely under the desk. "Just the usual slap of Ackerman's tyranny."

Yet another assignment: some analysis report on rare legends of this world. Worth quite a bit this time. That was the thing with this class, no midterms and final exams but crap tons of reports and essays—each worth a considerable chunk of his final grade, so it wasn't like he could bullshit out a paper the night before.

But Eren Jaeger aimed to please—especially for a course he actually liked and for a certain TA he so ardently admired. Mythology was something he always took interested in and with Levi's most invigorating discussions, it was natural for Eren to enjoy these assignments just a teeny more.

Jean was giving him that usual look of 'are-you-okay-in-the-head'. "Do mine as well?"

"Dream on meathead."

"Fruitcake," Jean shoots back and waves the paper-pile in the air in disgusted emphasis. "You are aware you're the only one enjoying these nasty things."

"These nasties are thirty-percent of your grade."

It wasn't just about percentages on his transcript; it was an opportunity to show himself again. The last big assignment took his professor and Levi by surprise, both having expressed their encouraging feedback. Never had he so much as glowed upon seeing Levi's impressed look.

A cough beside brought him back from his fantasies and under the scrutiny of his TA's hard gaze. Currently, Levi was not amused and impressed. Even with his small stature, the master's student could be intimidating as fuck.

"Welcome back Jaeger. Fun time in Neverland?"

He struggled a smile. "The best."

"Good," Levi returns back to the front of the classroom. "Tell us all about it in your presentation. You can be the first one to go."

He really liked the way Levi carried himself. A confident stride of self-awareness though not one step out of line when it came to his ego. It was...respectable. So it was natural for Eren to take his request as a personal challenge.

"Yes sir, don't mind if I do."

.-.

The thing with mythology assignments: there was a whole lot of research involved. You need to dig deep, tread into the abandoned corners of the library to really find something worth writing about. And if his TA wanted something rare and unheard of, Eren would deliver.

"Don't go overboard," Jean warned, "We don't want a repeat of last time."

_Last time_, he was found dehydrated in the top library floor, buried under books. Mikasa was livid when she heard and it took much convincing to have her stay put—Eren really didn't want the woman cross two cities because of his own stupidity. Jean said he tried too hard, put too much effort into something clearly not worth his sweat and tears; but fuck Jean and his just-passing grade. 

Two hours of quick research lead Eren to an article vaguely summarizing a story about giant walls, humanity's doom, and flesh-eating titans. Maybe it was the flesh-eating part that hooked Eren in and he went right on its trail. He dug deep, trying to find any source material and after another three hours of mindless browsing, he had a lead at a run-down bookstore.

There were messy piles of junk and mountains of old books stacked high everywhere, but he wasn't afraid. Two years of research was enough experience for Eren to quickly eliminate the interesting from the dull. He bent to the lowest level of shelves, crawled around tight corners, and scanned for books of ancient age.

He would have missed that pale leather-bound book tucked discretely in the corner of bookshelf if it wasn't for the loose string hung outwards. It was bounded from front to back in repeated circles followed by a few overlapping crosses to make sure the string doesn't loosen. In some parts, wear and tear was visible and the brown splotches on the string showed no sign of a human's touch for quite some time.

Eren pulled gently at the knots to read the title, difficult enough as it was.

'_To You in Two Thousand_ _Years_'

He stared at it for a whole minute, and clutched this one close to his chest.

This was it.

.-.

It was a story of growing up, of loss and hopelessness, sacrifice and bloodshed. There was nothing more terrifying than seeing monsters coming to life inside creatures that so closely resembled humans. Humanity had fallen to being caged inside stone walls for fear of the titans and the unknown, and the hero, deemed 'Humanity's Last Hope' charged full speed ahead to face the very thing that invoked fear in everyone.

An interesting tale, not one for everybody with all the barbaric gore and adulterated immorality displayed. There were respectable heroes and heroines who sacrificed a lot and were forced to grow up just a tad bit too soon. Those in the 104th squadron who decided to join the Scouting Legion though—they were the admirable ones.

Mere fifteen, sixteen year-olds who had the chance of safe and luxurious lives vouched to protect and bring hope for mankind. Eren couldn't imagine the dilemma and fear they went through—to live for themselves or humanity? It was an utmost admirable spirit, one he rarely witnessed in today's youth.

And of course, the Scouting Legion. However interesting Humanity's Last Hope and the titans were, Eren paid most attention to this military faction, in particular one of its captains, Humanity's Strongest.

The Captain was one peculiar character. Rude, crude, one hell of a Grinch you didn't want to deal with. But he got the job done. Eliminated more than enough titans with no assistance, assisted more than you could count kills, and always the go-to person when the Commander needed something. Small and dangerous, the narrator described, with a penchant for hygiene and tidiness and French cravats.

Eren thought the Captain was cool. An interesting character with a mysterious past and unconventional thinking. He wanted to know more about him; come on, having the entitlement of 'Humanity's Strongest' was one hell of a prestige.

By the time when Eren reached the exciting part when the Female Titan was captured in her crystallized state, it was well past midnight and he forced himself to set down the book. Morning classes were never fun but he couldn't afford to sleep in and miss a lecture again.

He caught something odd in the small corner of the book however, right as he was about to turn in for the night. A a stain on the back-cover. For one drowsy from lack of sleep, you'd assume he'd shrug it off, but Eren was not like the rest. He was curious and always full of questions, eager for wonders and new discoveries.

No, he just had to take a look.

He opened to the back of the book, revealing nothing but a little chicken scratch and what seemed to be the tiniest engraving a human could make with a knife. A hint of silver flashes under the light, the shine almost fading from age. Two words and he closed in on them, trying to make out what it said.

_gehan, fliegen_

He cocked his head in speculation. A foreign language, sounded like German. For two simple words and a whole lot of laziness pent up, you'd assume he'd search for a translation online and leave it as that, and go the fuck to sleep. But Eren was not like the rest. No, he was curious and stubborn, passionate in this story and the stupid assignment, and had a penchant for trouble.

No, he just had to touch it—because that would make him miraculously understand the engraved words and connect him on deeper levels—he just had to touch it and make it all the better.

A thumb grazed over the silver carving, Eren whisked away in his own thoughts, when a sharp pain passed through. He thought it nothing until he saw a small drop of blood escaping onto the book and damn, the old thing most definitely didn't need more stains and—

A sudden bright light coming from the very book and it flied out of his hands. Swift breezes swirled into angry winds—wind _inside his room_—and caught Eren by surprise, if he wasn't already stunned to the bones.

The book was _alive_.

He thought himself insane when he felt an invisible force, his long hair wisped back for a mere second, and saw a cloud form—a miniature version of a freaking hurricane formed in the middle of the book and fuck-shits Eren should be scrambling his ass to close the damn thing but he was a now bunny trapped in this invisible cage, sitting dumbfounded and watching.

Watching as a fucking head appeared, rose from the book, inching out slowly to reveal the body of a man, a little tattered and wounded but Eren could still guess who this might be—could be, should be...shouldn't be. The haircut and small height gave it away honestly. But his small frame of face, narrow eyes currently closed, sharp nose and that all-too-familiar frown.

Why in this cosmic universe did the Captain of the tell-tale Scouting Legion look exactly like Levi?

He didn't have time to speculate on that question as the next turning second, his neck was dangerously resting between two sharp blades and only his eyes dared to move up.

He knew that look—Levi rarely got pissed at the students but the times he does, there was silent poison in his glare in which you didn't want to be at the receiving end of. Right now, it was mixed with weary confusion, direct accusations, and utter annoyance. Maybe even a little intent to kill.

"What the hell did you do this time brat?"

Eren Jaeger just had to go out of his way to do well on this assignment and impress Ackerman. He just had to go to and find some story no one's ever touched. He just had to go the extra step.

Eren should listen to Jean for once.

.-.

—and a magical moment was born.

.-.

_TA: teacher's assistant—they're the ones who hosts tutorial sessions and labs and also helps the professor mark papers_

_RadioLab: podcast that broadcasts really __really__ awesome mini-shows with amazing storytelling talents_

AN: taking a step back. this will incorporate the teeniest bit of fantasy—hope it'll work out. bear with the dump of set-up and info here, i promise more character interaction next. if anyone is up for being beta, please let me know?

this one's for the 104th kids, the scouting legion, the soldiers, and of course, eren and levi. cheers.

Any criticism and kudos greatly appreciated! You can also find me on tumblr if you're up for any chit-chats: **no-other-words**.


	2. How Are You?

_It was tough, but whoever said it was easy? Here, it's every man for himself and training isn't an exception. I wasn't the best in our squadron, but I made it. Us three all made it to top ten in the class. So what was next?_

_The Scouting Legion. And Trost._

.-.

If anyone had sent Eren a message half an hour earlier, saying that they were having a splendid tea-party with a person who literally jumped right out of a book, Eren would reply with a 'cool dood. what are you high on?'

Key phrase: half an hour earlier.

Now, Eren would casually respond with 'yo me too. guy tried to kill me at first, but we're chums now. btw he looks like ackerman'.

Not exactly chums per say, but at last Captain had managed to keep from slicing his body into two. There was still this momentary mix-up on Eren's identity. He was _sure_ he wasn't—

"—kidnapped by a bunch of military wussies and I find you here?" Captain didn't move an inch of his hands as he inspected the surrounding. "Where is this? Where's Christa?"

Eren's lips babbled but nothing came out. He had no words formed in mind; what do you say to a man forged from thin air? Not to mention he was the carbon copy of Levi and that alone was freaky enough. But as soon as Captain sharpened his gaze, Eren straightened his senses. He was giving a chance to speak (and possibly spare his life) and Eren shouldn't waste it.

"I..I don't know. No idea, no idea at all."

Not a particularly satisfying answer, as Captain tightened his grip on the swords and Eren could _hear_ those blades rubbing against his skin.

"No really!" Eren shook his palms frantically. "I swear, I was reading and—you just...you just appeared, out of nowhere!"

"People don't 'appear' out of nowhere," Captain said. "Now where the hell are we?"

Eren already knew the man wouldn't like his answer. "We're...in my room?"

"Then get us out." Captain ordered as if that was the next obvious thing to do. "Now that I've found your sorry ass, we need to move quickly."

"See the thing is," Eren swallowed nervously. "You umm, kind of..came from that book."

Captain's eyes slid to the mentioned object, then back on him. "How damaged is your brain?"

He wondered if the next few words coming out of his mouth would be his last. "I—this is...I don't know where you came from—or _how_—but this is my world and you don't exactly belong here."

Narrowed eyes thinned, blades repositioned at Eren's nose now. "I don't know what ever the fuck Reiss made you swallow but you better shit it out because I'm not playing this game Eren. Get us out of here."

"I can't," Eren blurted dumbly.

"What the fuck do you mean you _can't_?"

Eren shrunk under Captain's threatening tone. "I..don't know how?"

He was picked up by the collar and slammed against the wall before he could finish. Face dangerously close to Captain, there was no mistaking in that obvious annoyance across the soldier's scowl.

"Listen here _Eren Jaeger_," Captain hissed, "there is a _war_ happening and we are on the edge of figuring out exactly what the _fuck_ is up with you and your fellow freak titans. There is no room for 'I don't know's and 'I can't's. That's not going to save the thousands of lives and the future of this shitty race is it? Now quit being a birdbrain and start acting like the soldier you were valued to be."

"Get off."

Grip loosened, Captain faltered back, clearly not expecting his defiance. "What?"

He didn't know where this sudden anger came from, but Eren gladly let it out with a growl and a hard shove. His eyes lit with quick rage. "I said _get off_."

The soldier refused to budge, figured it'd take more to move a soldier his strength. Eren had enough though; it was two in the morning and he wasn't up for crazy theories by an obviously confused man. He prepared to repeat himself when he caught Captain's unmoving gaze, eyebrows scrunched in concentration.

The man took a step back, lifted his hands, cupped Eren's chin. Examined his visage, rotating his head just slightly, and moved on to his eyes. Really looked into it, as if Captain was digging in his depths of yellow-green, scrounging for that one _thing_ that made him—

"Not him," Captain revealed. "You're not him."

Eren wondered for a moment who he meant by that, before realising it was this other Eren he mentioned. That heavy weight broke Captain's string of voice, leaving only a tiring revelation. And for the one instance, a pulling feeling to _be_ the other Eren Jaeger swelled inside his chest.

Except, _that _was his name as well. "I'm Eren...but I don't think I'm your Eren." That came out awfully wrong. The brunet quickly corrected himself. "Who is that?"

Captain took a minute before answering. "My charge. Likes to get himself killed."

Yellow-green eyes widened in recognition. Captain's Eren Jaeger was the one titled Humanity's Last Hope. He suddenly felt small under Captain's commanding disposition. Here he was, just a college student struggling to get by.

He only shook his head. "I'm not him."

Captain withdrew his blades, his posture slumped momentarily before composing back to his soldier stance and started around the room. Eren followed his movements, watching as the man gave questioning looks at his belongings.

"And titans?"

He must have still believed he was in the same world. "None, there're no titans here."

"No titans..." Captain gave a soft scoff. "What a world to live in."

.-.

It was blatantly obvious that Eren was going to lose sleep tonight. Captain looked as awake as the sun in midday. Eren awkwardly offered Captain a chair, to which he almost fell over because the man wasn't expecting a 'moving piece of shit'.

The student suggested sleep, to which Captain responded with "a soldier doesn't sleep, not when he's caught up in a shitstorm like this." And that shut Eren up. Only for a good few minutes before he blurted out an offer of tea. Captain looked like he was a person who enjoyed tea.

Not wrong there.

The way he held his cup was strange—palm over top, only the tips of his fingers gripping on the edge. It must've been difficult, trying to drink with a hand in the way, but Captain demonstrated every bit of his character for the last hour and Eren was already starting to adapt to the strange.

He was currently sitting cross-legged, enjoying the heck out of his tea which Eren so painstakingly made. Tea. At three in the morning. If he hadn't cared so much, he would've gone asleep. But there was a killing-machine here sipping at his green tea and Eren was not going to shut his eyes on him.

"As shitty as that place is, I need to go back." The soldier stated, a hand still resting on the magic book. Damn the book; all because of it that was currently having Eren repeat himself over and over again.

"I get it—"

"No." His grip on the cup tightened. "You don't."

Eren waited. Captain wasn't finished.

"Every second is precious time wasted. We got to find him if we want to get anywhere with the war." Him. _Eren Jaeger_.

"You lost him?"

He swore a tiny crack was heard when Captain stiffened. Wrong choice of words, seeing how his lips tightened into a menacing line.

"The nitwit got himself captured. Now I have _you_ messing things around." He gave Eren a glance before twitching in disgust. "Inept as always."

He ignored that jab, choosing to focus more on what happened with Captain. Curiousity grew on him: what happened in his world, to his fallen squadron. To the Female Titan, to Humanity's Last Hope. The desire to know came rushing in and he found himself asking.

"What is it like?" Captain gave him a 'please clarify' look. "Your world, with titans."

"What do you think?"

Eren kept silent, reprimanding his insensitive mind. Humankind on the brink of extinction and here he was, asking the soldier who'd seen it all how that felt like.

He didn't Captain would answer. "It's shit-ugly. Dealing with those hideous faces all the time, blood everywhere. Filthy." He turned to the window, pitch-black outside but he was still looking, seeing. "Death, blame, guilt. Monsters everywhere."

"And what are they like?"

"Monsters?"

"Titans."

Captain gave a dry chuckle, "you want to kill them?"

He figured it was a joke, but Eren shook his head earnestly. "The book says they're twenty meters tall, how the hell do you guys take these things down?"

"Read the book peanut-brain. We kill them with our gear."

"That's hard to imagine. The titans are a hundred times your size, next to impossible to—"

Captain swayed his eyes over to him and for a moment, Eren swore they _shined_. "When you have wings on your back, you can kill a monster."

.-.

Only on the third ring did Eren rouse from his deep sleep. An annoying sequence of donkey honks, set specifically for an equally annoying person. Jean rarely called this early in the morning because the bum was never up this early. Eren groaned when another whiny snort set off and he wished he had the heart to smash his phone silent.

"What," grouched his sleep-deprived voice. His head literally hurt from incoming sunlight and he buried his face into the pillow.

"What do you mean 'what'? Where the hell are you?"

"Bed."

Jean made a chocked laugh that sounded awfully shocked. "Buddy, you're actually skipping class!"

"Wha're you talking about," Eren forced his head sideways to look at the clock. "It's only—"

1:48PM.

Classic Lit. was at 1:30.

"Yeah, you better get up schoolboy."

With a burst of power he didn't know he had within, Eren shot up from his bed and let his body take over as he scrambled to get ready. He almost forgot about the book from yesterday, tripping over the object lying innocently on the floor, and his mind instantly went back to the most bizarre dream. Magic, character coming to life, Captain—Eren wondered when he'd fallen asleep on the story.

A quick shower, dress-up, a final check in the mirror, and he was down in the kitchen for his makeshift breakfast. If a slice of bread could be even called breakfast.

There was a petite figure roaming in the living room and Eren dutifully walked up for a greet. He was hoping to catch the person by surprise but the old lady had a sixth sense to these things and slighted her head to catch his peck on her cheek.

"Good morning ma'am."

Her pale golden eyes twinkled and she let on a reprimanding air. "Afternoon Eren, you students have no sense of time. And I'll have you scrub all the bathtubs if you call me that again."

Eren gave a playful salute. "Yes sir!" He loved that about his landowner—eighty four years old but still alive and kicking with an adorable sense of humour. It was why even though the house was a good distance from school and not the best place to live, he still stayed in his rented bedroom and kept the widow company.

She turned her attention back outside the window with a nervous glance. "There's a peculiar man on my lawn, with enormous weapons I believe. I'm not sure if I should call the authorities."

The bread dropped from his mouth as those words hit his ears. Looking out, there was indeed, a man in very strange clothing and dangerous-looking weapons hung at his hips. His back facing them, he was standing tall and poised and unaware of the funny looks given by passerby.

Captain.

So very real.

"H-how, how long he's been there?" Eren squeaked.

"I noticed him when I came down earlier. Thank the gods he hasn't killed anyone."

Without a second wasted, Eren dashed out. Events of last night suddenly flushed back and he really had hoped it was all just a dream. Though somewhere along their quiet and broken conversation, Eren had dozed off, leaving Captain to...whatever he was doing. Fortunately there was no need for damage control. Yet.

He grabbed Captain by the arm with a panicked look. "What are you doing? Hurry and get inside before someone accuses you of murder attempt."

"No walls," murmured the soldier, ignore Eren completely. "Just...open space."

His eyes were something along the line of disbelief and Eren wondered himself if it really was all that hard to take it in. On the other hand, here was a person who'd been looking at skyscraper-walls all his life. Captain then wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Smells like piss. Piss on fire."

He kept that chortle to himself and instead gave another tug. "Welcome to the 21st century, pollution everywhere. C'mon, you need to get inside and I need to go."

"Where?"

"To class. School, get education."

"What the hell do you need training for?"

Eren chuckled heartily. It was amusing to see Humanity's Strongest soldier puzzle himself over these small things. A small tick hit him when he realised there were so much more that Captain would trip himself over and this was just the beginning—if he stayed for long that was.

"Not to train. To learn, discover. Did you know they recently found a human-made cave that got sunken into the sea? _Human-made_." He stopped before the door and gave Captain the most glittering eyes and eager grin. "There's so much to know, it's a big world out there Captain!"

Eren paused when he received a stare, Captain's eyes glazed with something unfamiliar. He raised his eyebrows in amusement and commented, "still the same."

Perhaps it was that unexpected tone of his, airy and full of nostalgia that hit Eren like a storm. It could also be the way Captain held his gaze firmly, almost as if refusing to let go. He didn't know what he meant by that remark—still the same as what? Who? Eren Jaeger.

_I was always like this, didn't change_, was what he wanted to say. Didn't get a chance to—something stopped him. A rock stuck to the bottom of his throat, what did he want to prove by adding that little commentary? The door then opened, interrupting this comfortable quiet between them.

"Oh my, he is your friend?"

Eren turned to the small woman and was glad to see most of her worried lines gone. "Yes, not to worry. Sorry about all this Pe—"

"Petra."

It was one revelation after another. Captain was like a jack-in-in-box, popping out surprises after every turn of a second it seemed. Both looked to Captain—currently a man stunned to the ground, a pale ash colour across his face, as if he'd seen a ghost. He kept faith to his cold expression, but a glaze over his silver eyes mirrored that of pain.

She was the first to recover from the momentary silence, her frizzy grey hair fluffing when she tilted her head. "I'm sorry, have we met before? I don't seem to remember your lovely face."

An innocent question, yet it took him so long to finally snap out of his daze. Captain straightened—Eren catching sight of his bony Adam's Apple tense then relax. A dry chuckle escaped followed by familiar words spoken not too long ago.

"No, my mistake. A different Petra." His Petra, Eren assumed.

Just like his Eren.

.-.

The rest of the afternoon whizzed by with Eren's attention barely on his lectures—a rare occurrence since usually by now, there would be at least three pages of aggressively written notes. His mind was somewhere today, in another world with stone walls, giants, and flying soldiers with white and blue wings on their back.

He wondered how Captain was doing. Petra offered to keep him company while Eren left for school, said she had nothing to do anyway. Sure hoped to god he wasn't unleashing his blades of fury around the house. The sweet old lady still had a few more years to go and a frightful event was the last thing her heart needed.

He could say the same for himself. Not a full day and it had been a crazy ride. Eren was still stuck somewhere on the edge of reality and fantasy. Was he crazy to believe this was all very real? Was he even allowing himself to believe?

Part of him wanted to, held a distinct fascination in finding more about Captain. Maybe it was because of his existing admiration for Levi, tying those two together was easy on the mind. In the short span of time, he could already see eerie similarities between the two—that cynical expression they held, their bold language and dismissive manner. Eren pondered if Captain liked to snub at his subordinates the way Levi did with his students, if Captain would keep his hair long and tie it back if it weren't for the military life.

So deep in his thoughts, he wasn't aware of another presence closing in until a throat was cleared and Eren was snapped back to reality. A deja-vu really, seeing that deadpan face again. Eren knew this was going to happen quite frequently in the future. On instinct, Eren thought of only one name at the moment.

"Captain!"

His heart dropped in an instant, then sunk deeper upon seeing Levi's half-amused look.

"I may be good at what I do Jaeger, but I'm not Captain."

A flush rolled up to his cheeks and he quickly apologized. "I was reading something earlier. Guess it reminded me of you." More than just a small reminder, but Levi didn't need to know that.

"Oh? How so?"

The brunet offered a twinkling smile. "For starters, Captain's got much of the same potty-mouth as someone I know."

Levi merely scoffed. "Cheeky. I assume this is the story you'll be writing your report on?"

He paused for a moment before deciding that yeah, "that's _the_ story." His heart would take no other.

"And what is it about?"

Eren clicked his tongue an affirmative. "Can't spoil my analysis. You'll have to wait for the grand finale."

The TA gave a chuckle, a precious moment not to be forgotten since he rarely allowed anyone the luxury of that sight. "Don't disappoint, Jaeger."

He didn't know what it was but even a short exchange of words with his TA could bring a burst of energy to his spirit. He felt…good. A little afraid to say happy so…'content' was the better word. He was always in a content mood after talking with Levi.

Carrying an extra skip in his steps, Eren made his way home. Thinking of seeing that same face once again brought out a chuckle but not without a speck of concern. He'd been out for the entire afternoon and into the night and who knew how the man was holding up.

Turned out, Eren didn't have to worry much. To his surprise, he came back to a peaceful conversation over tea (of course) between Petra and Captain. Miraculously, she had convinced him to shake off his gear and Eren noted the different air Captain held without the heavy artillery and army jacket. He appeared…more at ease, expression still as blank but more lax. It must've been sweet old Petra's usual magic of putting anyone at ease.

"Welcome back Eren," greeted Petra. "We were just talking about you."

"Good things, I hope." Eren pulled up a chair and sat leaning forward against the back.

"Petra talked about your expeditions," Captain said. "You've spread your germs to a lot of places."

Petra giggled. "Trips deary, not expeditions. Your friend is quite the character, it's such a pleasure talking with him."

This brings a smile. Eren's glad that Petra enjoyed herself. The household included only the two of them and he couldn't help but sense her loneliness at times. Eren glanced over to Captain and found a rather serene expression, eyes closed with a hint of a curve on his lips.

"You…too," he hesitated. "It's…nice having to talk to you."

_Again_. Eren could hear it in his head—that trailing word left unsaid.

He soon ushered Captain to his room, allowing Petra some time to rest. They still needed to figure out what exactly was going on with the book.

"You've been outside this city many times."

"Yeah, I used to travel a lot when I was a kid."

"And the only place you haven't gone to is 'Asia'?"

"More like continent," Eren corrects. An idea popped up and he went to dig up something in his closet. "Japan's my next destination. That's where Mikasa's homeland is."

"..Mikasa…"

If he wasn't so focused on finding the thing, Eren would've noticed that strange tone in Captain's voice again. With an excited sound, Eren pulled out a large piece of rolled-up poster and laid it across the floor.

"The world map," he explained. "Shows all the places humans have explored and lived."

"And those red dots, battlegrounds?" Captained referred to the messily coloured-in circles on the map.

"Where I've been to. Personally I like Europe the best. Beautiful country defined by its long history of culture." Eren pointed to a large piece of land on the left. "And here's us."

Captain touched the five large strips of blue connected together at one point. "You're close to the ocean."

Eren exploded in laughter. "Far from it! These are just the Great Lakes, pretty big for lakes actually, but nothing compared to oceans." His hand hovered over the entire spread of blue across the map. "_These_ are."

Grey eyes widened slightly in wonder. "They're…big."

Eren hummed in agreement. "Big and beautiful. It's a whole other world in there."

They shared a comfortable silence. Eren thought back to his trips and relished in the imagery his memories held of all the places he went. Captain looked every bit as interested as he was during his conversation with Petra, a flicker of desire.

"Have you," Eren paused, "have you seen it?"

"What."

"The ocean, lakes."

Captain kept his gaze on the map, fingertips still lingering on the blue surface. He replied in a low voice, "When you're surrounded by walls and titans, you don't see shit."

And he had no idea what came over. Maybe this urge to show Captain his world, the beauty of their world. And half of it was like instinct coming from somewhere but Eren cried out all of a sudden, "I'll show you!"

That was when Captain's attention flew to him, and the brunet gulped.

"I can show you, the lake anyway. It's no ocean, but still amazing. And we can cross it, to Centre Island! There's a huge park there, and a nice little beach and—and," Eren bit his lips, growing anxious and feeling smaller by the second. Captain was giving that blank expression again, hard to read. But who was he kidding—of course the man wasn't interested in that. He needed to get back to—

The book.

Eren quickly searched around for the book and grabbed it upon seeing it on his desk. "Right, we gotta get you back. Maybe the book can hel—"

"Eren." The boy looked up as Captain took the object out of his hand, notably gripping hard on the book. "What do you think happens after death?"

An out of the blue question that he was utterly unprepared for. "I...haven't thought about that."

"Nothing happens. Death is death. We move on. Life moves on, time moves on." Captain's steel-gray eyes locked firmly with Eren's yellow-greens and Eren's chest held its air. "The dead moves on, into a new life. A new world, maybe a better one."

He wasn't sure what Captain was meaning to say but his chest inflated with firework sparks when the soldier demanded, gave him permission, allowed Eren to—

"Show me your world. Let's see just how crappy it is compared to mine."

He could only resolve himself to say, "it'd be my pleasure, Captain."

.-.

That night, Captain finally succumbed to sleep.

Petra helped Eren set up a makeshift bed, using what was left of the little space of his room to try and make it most comfortable. Captain didn't complain one bit about how lumpy and rusty the mattress was or how there was a suspicious-looking stain on a pillow they found in the storage, just flopped right on and laid sideways with an arm tucked under.

Eren figured it was finally all too much for him—even a super-soldier needed rest. He washed up for the night and diligently crept up to his own bed trying not to disturb the man. Couldn't help but to take a look though.

Captain looked so different when he was asleep—serene and relaxed with no creased lines of worry between his eyebrows. His frown gone, chin tucked a little into the poof of his cravat. _Harmless_ was what Eren wanted to say.

Peaceful.

Eren wasn't aware of how long he stared, merely forced himself to lie back down some time later feeling a little flushed.

_So that's how Levi looks when he's asleep._

.-.

thanks for reading! you can also find me on tumblr if you're up for any chit-chats: **no-other-words**.


	3. I'm Doing Good

_You never told me your secret. Then again, I suppose even you didn't know. But imagine the looks on our faces when we found out—all because we were careless and you wanted to protect us in the end._

_Didn't matter and still doesn't matter now. The power of your secret is safe with us. We will protect you. __All__ of us, even him._

_Always__ will._

_I swear._

.-.

"And you're eating regularly? No skipping meals?"

"Yup, got my noodles right here." Eren raised his bowl of instant noodles in front of the webcam and snickered at his mother's disapproved look.

A lazy Sunday with little-to-no schoolwork meant a Skype-session with the head of the Jaeger household. Technology did wonders—brought back that bitter feeling of missing someone even though Eren was fine on his own.

School was becoming busier and Eren's one-track mind had forgotten to call the family. A pathetic excuse, Eren admitted as he bore his mother's scolding. Mikasa had done better than him in this aspect, checking in whenever she had the chance. He was hoping to make up for his thoughtlessness during Thanksgiving, when the family got together for the first time since school started.

Eren leaned back against his chair to catch the sound of running water in the other room, glad to hear no bumps and curses from his guest. It was just another day in and Captain was spitting left to right about how filthy he was and how badly he needed a wash. A long and entertaining process—explaining the shower and plumbing system to the mesmerized captain. Never had he seen anyone study the toilet so attentively before.

An airplane whisked across the sky outside in a thunderous roar, drowning out his mother's voice and surrounding noises for a few seconds. A loud bang came from behind in the following silence and the next thing he knew, he was yanked back into a corner by a very naked man, soap bubbles and all, and dumped in the corner with Captain hovering protectively over him.

Eren was very aware of Captain's current state. Having the wind knocked out of him, he still couldn't catch a breath and the rather strong arm holding vigil around his shoulders was unrelenting. It was hot; no doubt from Captain's fresh-out-of-shower heat—never mind the wetness seeping through his shirt but his mind was swimming with mist and muscles.

"Wh-what are you doing?!"

Captain donned an ominous look. Muscle tense and eyes dangerous to kill, he spared Eren a sharp glance before focusing out the window with high alert.

"We're under attack, dipshit. Be quiet."

"We're not—that's nothing! Don't worry about it, it's just an airplane."

Captain's jaws were tense, his arm around Eren refusing to let go. It may be nothing for the boy, but all of Captain's senses were heightened with alarm. Years of war taught the soldier that nothing could never be 'nothing'.

Eren tried not to let his eyes go astray—take a peek, because it was very easy for the human eyes to just slide...down...just a teeny bit and perhaps witness humanity's greatest human organ at work. Self-control was a skill gained from practice, and currently Eren was...practicing (much effort).

Not Karla. She was already past that age of modesty.

"Oh my..."

Eren looked up to see his mother stare blatantly at the two round globes facing the computer screen. Shameless as she was when a giggle escaped. At least she had the decency to blush.

"Mom!" Eren quickly grabbed the closest piece of clothing and concealed Captain's bareness, only to be very aware how his hands were cupping The Bum with his dirty briefs. He squeaked at the man's sharp glare and whimpered upon hearing his mother's burst of laughter.

"Can you please look away?!"

"I would deny myself a rare privilege if I did."

"Mom!"

"Jaeger," Captain warned. They were both well aware where the boy's hands were rested on.

Eren turned them around and pushed Captain out the room. "Finish your shower and _get dressed_."

Before the door was slammed in his face, Captain cautioned Eren, "don't rub your filthy undergarment on me."

Karla waited patiently on the other side of the screen, watching Eren's slowly-taken steps across the room before he settled himself in. She wore a knowing grin and one could only guess what was going through that senile mind of hers. Eren let out a groan and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Mom..."

"New friend?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"From the same school?"

"Yeah, my TA from mythology." Eren didn't know what came over him but his mouth ran on before his mind could realise what little fib he'd just spat out.

"Well that's new," Karla remarked with a surprised look. "But I guess it's good you're reaching out to different circles. He does look...responsible."

Karla and her double-meanings. There was no need for explicit translations when Eren was her son. With a few words exchanged, Eren could guess where she was headed towards and this conversation was no exception. Before any innuendos could be made, he quickly swayed her attention.

"I'll be home for Thanksgiving, maybe Friday afternoon?"

A bright smile flashed through the screen. "Wonderful! I'll be sure to make your favourites. Will the charming fellow be coming as well?"

The woman had a way with bringing back undesired topics. It took Eren a while to divert the conversation elsewhere that didn't include a certain naked man who introduced himself with soap bubbles, and it might've been Karla's act of mercy to let that subject go. He was sure it'd come up again during Thanksgiving dinner.

Captain strolled in just when the video-call was over, thankfully fully-dressed this time. Eren's spare shirt was a bit too small for Captain's muscular build, leaving little left to imagination for even the dullest of minds. More lax his expression was, far from earlier when he thought a threat had come, and Eren noted how much younger the soldier appeared when rid of the stress, exhaustion, and constant tension of battle.

"That was your mother."

A statement rather than a question. It was with no surprise when strangers could easily relate Eren and Karla as family—it was hard to miss the passionate yellow-green in both their eyes and their spitfire charm. What took Eren back was that resigned expression across Captain's face. Something he knew that Eren didn't.

"Yeah, she has this rule for me that I have to call her at least once every week," explained Eren as he swivelled in his chair. "Don't think she's gotten used to the empty nest at home."

"She looks well. Very lively."

Eren shrugged. "She likes to keep busy, but we try to not let her overwork herself. Doesn't really help her low blood pressure." His expression darkened at an unwanted memory. "Had an incident once. Mom fainted on the stairs and no one was with her. Good thing it was only her arm that was broken and not anything more severe."

"Then once a week isn't enough, soldier," Captain's rather solid voice ran the room. "Never know when the sky's going to drop a big shit on you one day and you'll lose it all."

Eren took in his words and softened his look. "Does the sky shit on you every day Captain? In your world?"

"Who's to say?" Captain crossed his arms and looked out the window, watching as the clouds peacefully roll by. "Are you certain you'll see your friends and family tomorrow?"

He was speaking from experience, a personal conviction derived from years of experience living in his reality. A reality where death was easier to come by than Eren's reality.

"My world isn't populated by titans," Eren started softly. "It's not certain I'll see them again but it's safe here. Much safer..."

"This is life I'm talking about, Jaeger. There is no distinction between your world or mine. It's all the same clusterfuck we're unfortunate enough to live in."

The gravity in his tone made Eren's gaze on Captain linger. His gray eyes flashed for a moment, telling Eren there was that something again, that Captain knew and he didn't. Captain flopped on the edge of the bed and grabbed the day's newspaper off the floor. He glossed over the front page, no look of surprise in his eyes but a grimace still appeared.

"No titans doesn't mean you're safe. Just one less shitstorm to worry about." He tossed the newspaper over to Eren. "There are monsters everywhere, Eren. No less danger from the way I see it."

**70****TH**** ANNIVERSARY – remembering World War Two**

**TERROR IN OTTAWA – 5 killed, 120 injured**

**RON CONNY GUILTY – life sentence for serial killer**

Eren's grip on the newspaper hardened, lips curled in to be bitten in guilt. Captain was right, how could he forget? Just because his everyday life was a peaceful one didn't mean all dangers and threats were nonexistent. Twenty-one years in this world and he should know by now who the real monsters were—the most terrifying and biggest threat to mankind.

"And your old man?"

The quick change of subject snapped Eren out of daze. "Dad? Yeah, he's good, one of the medical researchers at a facility."

Captain's pulled up in a dry grin. "Not dominating the world I hope."

"That's more like Armin." Eren put the newspaper aside, more than willing to take up Captain's offer of a change in subject. "The genius wants to invent some next level laser technology. Scary to know what's going on inside his mind."

"The brains huh."W

Eren nodded enthusiastically. It was refreshing speaking about his smart-aleck of a friend to someone new. About time to start using his rights to brag about Armin the wise.

"He's always been like this, a child prodigy. Knew the alphabet before anyone in kindergarten, always at the top of the class. He mastered piano, violin, and the flute before high school even started and graduated with honours in every subject. Makes you wonder how he does it...that and he has the time to read about quantum theory."

Eren paused, "Never one for sports though. Mikasa's the best out of us three."

Captain chuckled, "Not surprised."

Eren cocked his head in inquiry but Captain ignored it. These frequent little remarks were mysterious and puzzling. He liked to believe Captain habitually spoke himself. He'd grown accustomed to it—since he'd never get answer from the reserved man every time he questioned.

A thought occurred to him and Eren quickly rushed to his closet, digging deep for an old memory. He came out with a small book in hand and quickly settled beside Captain.

"Mom made the ultimate photo album for me when I moved to school. Says I'll need it when I'm feeling homesick." Eren's eyes gleamed in excitement as he flipped through the album, emotions suddenly hitting him at all the memories from years ago. He felt proud to show off his close friends, especially to someone as esteemed as Captain.

"Long hair," Captain remarked when he happened upon an old picture of Mikasa.

"Yeah, she used to keep it long. Cut it off suddenly for some strange reason when high school started."

Captain quickly took over and started from the beginning of the album, lingering slightly on every photo. Eren kept his voice to himself, afraid to break the delicate silence that he felt Captain needed somehow. Only when questions were posed did Eren become more comfortable in making casual commentaries.

A pleasant walk down memory lane. He was glad he showed the album to Captain.

"And this..." murmured Captain in a strange soft voice. "This is your mother?"

Eren hummed with heartfelt warmth. It was an old photo taken shortly after his birth. Karla was in bed holding the sleeping babe and she had the most tender expression. He wasn't going to lie and say twenty years didn't affect her, but she still radiated the same beauty to this day.

"Tiny bundle of joy you were huh? Wonder what happened."

Eren huffed with a pout. "I became even cuter, that's what."

He flipped the page to prove his claim and there they were—more pictures of his childhood. Each archiving his growth and personal moments of happiness and achievements. His first bike ride with dad, playing in the dirt with Armin, arm-wrestling with Mikasa, basketball games with Jean. A little embarrassment rolled over to have Captain see his silly side, but the latter didn't make attempts at teasing.

"A pretty good life you had there," Captain observed.

"Yeah, I'd say so. I was a happy kid, I guess. A little _too_ happy sometimes, unfortunately for my mom."

"And it's going to remain that way."

Eren blinked, not sure where this declaration came from. "Yeah...I hope so. I mean why not?"

Captain nodded and returned to the photos. Fingers glossed over a family portrait taken during the holidays, eyes lit in nostalgic mist. Nothing occurred to Eren to explain this sudden change of character and he only sat quietly for a next revelation. What came out surprised him to no ends.

"Eren."

"Yes Captain."

"Let me meet your family."

Blink. And then another.

"You sure?" He weakly joked. "Mom can be a little overbearing and then there's Mikasa...my family's a bit on the crazy side."

"Eren."

The boy's heart skipped a beat, his attention fully on Captain.

"I want you to keep this in your mind. If anything; take what you have today and cherish it like no tomorrow." His sharp gray eyes intently locked Eren's own in heated resolve.

"There are good people, good men like you who have lost it all. Who rely on nothing but memories. Memories only _you_ have the power to make. So make them count, Jaeger. Make every fucking second count."

Eren's heart stilled under the intensity of Captain's gaze. He was spoken to, yes, but it was like these words were for _him_ only. Again he felt that gnawing feeling—_something Captain knew that he didn't_. And whatever it was, these words held the answer.

He could only give a complying response—

"Thanksgiving it is then."

.-.

thanks for reading! you can also find me on tumblr if you're up for any chit-chats: **no-other-words**.


	4. Things Have Been Happening Lately

Wherever you are right now, whoever you are. Whatever you are. You're not alone. We're with you. Like we always were. We'll fight alongside you, support you. You don't have to fight alone, you don't need to. You have us.

Let us make some sacrifices. Let us take some of the burden—they're not yours only.

.-.

Three-minute showers, heightened senses, full-house inspections, and 2-3 hours of sleep.

No longer did Eren react to Captain's strange tendencies. It had become a part of his morning routine—waking up to a wide-eyed soldier leaning against the window and watching the sun rise. A rather pleasant sight, Eren admitted, something he now looked forward to every morning. He knew Captain was behaving out of habit developed from war, but he felt safe. Personally protected.

He was more than concerned when he discovered Captain hadn't slept much for the first few days. Eren was scared it was due to the change in environment, but the solder reassured him that this was 'normal'—whatever his definition of normal was.

"When you're at war with the world all your life, your eyes don't take leisure rests." His gray eyes flashed to Eren in quick mirth. "That and your thundering snores keeps me awake."

Eren dismissed the topic as quick as his embarrassment came.

.-.

"And what in a titan's forbidden ass is that?"

Captain was giving the large metal contraption in front of him the biggest death glare, eyes full of distrust.

"The bus, Captain. Public transportation."

"Where's your horse? Like hell I'm going in some moving box built for prisoners."

Eren choked a laugh and looked at the offended soldier victoriously. "If you want to come with, better follow my rules."

Figured that person who used to sail openly across the skies would be suffocating caged inside four walls all day. Sweet patient Petra could no longer keep Captain preoccupied and entertained in the house with tea-talks and cleaning sessions. Captain had wanted out.

Eren tried to keep the soldier at bay, pleading him not to take another step out the premises. The long weekend was coming up and then, Captain could flit around a free bird wherever he wanted to while they visited the family. But he wanted none of that later—he wanted now. He wanted to see, quote-unquote, what sort of brain-regressing activities Eren was wasting his life on.

And under Petra's light scolding—apparently he was being a terrible host and everyone knows how much Eren listens to the old lady—Eren reluctantly gave the okay to bring Captain to campus.

He wondered how anyone could handle Captain's crude stubbornness. How his Eren could ease this rigid mind. Eren's Levi wouldn't be so difficult—way more mature and understanding than Captain. The brunet flushed at the thought of Levi being 'his'—there was really no need to distinguish who's whose.

But there was a need to make sure those two never met. That no one recognize Captain.

Thus why he donned the biggest hoodie Eren could find, hood over Captain's head so his face was partially covered. Loose, hanging clothes and baggy pants—completely opposite to Levi's trademark style. He protested at first, but Eren managed to quiet Humanity's Strongest with four undeniable words.

"My world, my rules."

They were also why Captain had no sassy arguments when Eren introduced him to the campus library, hesitantly informing him in the nicest way possible that he was leaving the soldier here for the day while he attended class. He didn't seem to mind, in fact, he wore an awestruck expression.

"My...friend would have appreciated this," Captain commented absentmindedly. "He'd love it too."

Eren looked down, not sure who he Captain was referring to, but he had a good idea. He led them to an empty study room in the farthest corner of the library. "I'll let you have fun here. Please don't go off somewhere. I'll come back as soon as I'm done for the day. Won't be long."

"Your words, Jaeger, better not turn to shit."

Eren came to learn quickly that this was Captain's way of giving approval.

.-.

It wasn't like anything before, the way Eren sat anxiously in his seat waiting for class to end. He tapped his pen impatiently, waiting for the clock to strike 12 so he could get out. Dread was crawling in Eren with every second gone by, the worst situations involving Captain playing in his mind. He'd be okay, Eren tried to convince himself, but he never had the best of luck.

"Would you stop that?" Jean hissed, finally having enough of his tapping. "I can't concentrate on my game with you tap-dancing there."

Eren ignored him but ceased when Levi gave him a pointed look. Ashamed he was already, for being inattentive and restless in his tutorial, and he was even more so to be the first one out the room when class was over. There was only one thing flashing in his mind and that was Captain.

To be in complete relief when he found the man right where Eren first left him was an understatement. He even cracked a smile, noticing the stack of books.

"Found something interesting?"

Captain didn't spare him a glance, eyes scanning the book in his hands. "It's impressive how you modern people separate mythology from history."

Eren cast him a questioning look. Captain showed the book's cover—Greek Mythology: The Titans—and looked expectantly at the boy, waiting for some kind of explanation.

"We...that's because...they should be separated."

Captain slammed a finger to a picture of a titan in the book. "Have you not been paying attention to me? These might be the very titans that we've been fighting. On one hand, you write them off as stories and fictional yet on the other, you look to them as gods and higher beings, recording their history in official documents. Worship them. Why do you identify them as separate things?"

"Because they're fictional. History and religion are real. Titans and other mythical creatures...they're not...real. They're just old tales made up by people from thousands of years ago. How do you believe in something as imaginary as that?"

"How do you distinguish truth from centuries' old fiction?"

Eren didn't answer.

Captain gritted his teeth. "'History is a set of lies agreed upon.'" And he turned back to the book, giving no sign of leaving the study room. Eren stood gaping, surprised to hear Captain quote Napoléon. An entire afternoon was not wasted on Captain it seemed, having read such vast variety of books. He was about to object when a familiar voice silenced his vocal cords and he immediately shut the study room door, straightening his back to block the door-window.

It was a scene he feared the most—his TA in front of him looking suspicious as ever and obviously curious while his doppelganger was on the other side of the door. His heart was pounding heavily against his chest and he could only try to keep his head cool. Be calm—do small talk and say your goodbyes. If everything goes smoothly (granted Captain doesn't pop out), Levi wouldn't notice a thing.

"Being a little sneaky raccoon today, leaving my tutorial so abruptly like that."

"S-sorry about that. I needed to do something."

"Someone you mean," Levi corrected, his eyes pointing to the door behind Eren. "Someone very special apparently for you to be so eager to leave my tutorial."

Eren didn't meet his eyes, knew the tip of his ears were red.

"Girlfriend?" Levi pressed.

"No!"

He bellowed a little too urgently, too loudly. It really didn't help, considering Levi's raised eyebrow, and Eren bit his lip in anxiety. Back pressed tightly against the door, hoping that Captain would keep his attention on his books.

"I...don't have..." he tried to justify himself. "I mean I don't prefer...the umm, the opposite...sex."

A hot flush came to Eren's cheeks, his embarrassment uncontainable. No idea why he disclosed that personal bit of himself—it wasn't like his idol of a teacher's assistant would care and if anything, it could greatly affect how Levi would now view him.

"Is that so," Levi said, an unrecognizable tone to his voice. "Welcome to the club, beanstalk."

.-.

He still wore a bewildered expression as they walked out of campus, paying little mind to Captain next to him. Did Levi Ackerman, eccentric Master's student with an unusual way of words and profound understanding to the hidden lines of history and literature, just announce his personal preference to Eren? Did well-dressed, well-kept, good-looking Levi follow Eren to the library to check up on him, for his weird behaviour today? Did he just earn a nickname from Levi?

His cheeks warmed to the thought, of Levi's concern. He didn't know he was such a favoured student of his. He even grew redder.

"You look like you really need to shit," Captain stated.

"I'm happy."

Not even Captain's nasty choice of words could bring his high down. Nor his awful scowl when they had to take the bus again. What could possibly crash his euphoria would be the sound of Jean's voice.

"Eren?"

The brunet quickly reacted and pulled down Captain's hood, though it was too late.

Jean narrowed his eyes at the smaller man then peered at Eren, muttering, "Is that Ackerman?"

His cheeks were still flushed from before, but now his ears are going red again. And Jean could see the rise and fall of his chest, too aware of how visually noticeable Eren's stress could be when he's stuck in a dilemma. Aware of how terrible of a liar he was.

"Are those...your clothes?"

Breathing just escalated ten-fold and his head was getting hotter. Why was it suddenly so stuffy in here? Was the ventilation broken on this bus? Eren tightened his grip on Captain's wrist, silently pleading him not to intervene. But nothing could stop Jean from his speculations.

"You two live...in the same direction huh."

Not a question anymore, but an allegation.

Jean didn't need Eren's response. His completely flushed face and dizzied eyes were enough. With a knowing smirk, he stepped off the bus when his stop arrived.

"Nice."

.-.

Eren appreciated Jean's appearance. Spiritually thanked his keen observations and blatant questions, for it flashed Eren a critical reminder and created a new priority for the day. There was no way they were going back home with Captain wearing Eren's clothes. Karla was too keen on things like this and after the Skype incident, he didn't need any more complications.

"We passed your house, idiot."

"Need to stop by someplace, we're getting you clothes."

"Shouldn't I be the one to be disgusted in sharing your putrid articles?"

"If you want to meet my mom, then you better put up a good appearance."

That shut him up, though Eren quickly felt guilty for such a snappy response.

"A magical place, Captain. I'm bringing you to a magical place."

Said place was Wal-Mart.

A sacred haven for students, last resort for the poor, repository of all that is needed and wanted. Home for desperate souls like a certain lad by the name of Eren Jaeger, who could only afford 97 cents cup noodles (taxes no included) and almost-expired whole-wheat bread.

A source of affordable clothes with passable quality to be worn on naked skin.

"Pretty damn magical," Captain said flatly. "I can feel glittering rainbows shooting out of my ass."

With a few swipes through the racks, Eren made a nice pile of for the man to try on, which was reduced to only a few choices by a certain picky person. The guy was high maintenance; even without reading the labels, he trusted fully on his sense of touch and picked only materials with 100% cotton. No jeans either—'restricted his bowel movements' and he claimed he rather liked wearing Eren's sweatpants.

Lying he'd be if Eren denied that he was disappointed to not have seen Captain in jeans. But he stood back and evaluated the end results, clicking his tongue as he noted how different Captain looked. Opposed to chic and preppy style that Levi was known for, this man was all comfort and laid-back.

Good enough to meet his parents.

Once finished checking out, Eren found no soldier by his side and he could only sigh. He should've known to keep a closer eye on Captain. Wal-Mart was an addictive place when you were bored and there were much to see.

Enough heart-stopping adventure for one day, please and thank you.

But he had a feeling of where just to look.

If not tea, then it was to the cleaning section.

And there he was—in the middle of the aisle stood a speculating Captain, eyes scanning the shelves and carefully evaluating every product. Eren found it amusing—he'd never seen anyone so enthusiastic and attentive in the cleaning aisle before. After obediently following Eren's rules the whole day, he should allow this moment for Captain.

"Would you look at that." Captain grabbed a particular bottle. "Toilet cleaner. That's the dirty excuse of a bowl where you dump your piss and shit in right?"

"They're not—"

"We need one."

Eren did not argue. When it came to cleanliness and hygiene, he wouldn't bother.

Captain focused in on the labels many times, unable to distinguish what the hell was what in amidst this wild collection of, quote-unquote, rainbow-puking containers. What the fuck's the difference between original and non-scented? Why is the green one cheaper than the yellow one? How does 'breezy ocean' smell like? Eren was surprised to see that while the man had his obsessions, he still held a strong sense of a soldier's efficiency.

Not the Swiffer section however; he had the most fun in that section. Every broom, every WetJet, every Duster, he caressed with awe and splendor. A child at heart was what Eren witnessed for the first time, and he desperately wanted to snap a lasting photo of this rare moment.

"We have this?" Captain asked, referring to the Swiffer Duster.

"Yep, we're proud owners of the entire Swiffer collection. It's easy on Petra's back."

Captain gave an approving nod. "Magical place indeed."

When he was finally satisfied with his marvelling and a basket full of cleaning supplies, they moved to the check-out line. No protest came from Eren upon seeing the many bars of soap, air-fresheners, surface wipes, and toilet sprays. A happy Captain meant a happy Eren.

Just in the corner of his eyes, Eren caught a young boy sneaking pack of gum into his packet. Snatching his wrist away, he said in a low voice and with a stern look, "There are things in this world that we can and cannot do. Stealing is one of those that we must never do."

Ignoring the boy's terrified and silenced state, Eren kept a strong grip on his wrist and waited for the cashier. When it was their turn, Captain placed the cleaning supplies on the counter and watched as Eren also added the pack of gum.

"Don't let me catch you again, kay?" He said afterwards, ruffling the boy's hair, and watched as the boy ran off.

He turned to Captain and caught his pensive stare. "What?" He was given a small smile and that distant look in Captain's gray eyes.

"Still the same. Exactly like him."

Captain rarely talked about his Eren.

Eren wasn't sure if he wanted Captain to.

.-.

That night, Captain began to talk out of the blue, something on a story he read in the library.

"This girl was terminally ill. She began making paper cranes so her wish can be granted. Or some crap like that."

"Hmm, A Thousand Cranes. A true story. Every thousand paper cranes would grant you one wish."

"She didn't make it in the end. Why waste her life on something so trivial?"

"It gave her hope, Captain. Motivation, a will to live. She put her hope and dreams in those paper cranes. Wasn't for nothing."

Captain stared at the ceiling with a distant look.

"Hopes and dreams, huh."

.-.

thanks for reading! you can also find me on tumblr if you're up for any chit-chats: **no-other-words**.


	5. We're All Fighting so Hard

_If I ever look back to those days, I think I'd regret not looking after you more. It was always the other way around, wasn't it? You were fighting hard enough for the both of us. While I directed my eyes on a far-off dream that cannot be fulfilled now. And Captain...well Captain was being Captain._

_If I had known, I think I would've pulled you out. Before any of these horrifying, soul-sucking truths could reach you._

.-.

They lived just outside the suburbs, where the countryside took over. Home base was a 700-acres piece of land, abundant in vegetation and cows that lazed over the rolling hills. The horses liked to take shade under a small patch of trees at the edge of their property, and it was the first thing Eren saw when the bus turned the corner.

Home sweet home.

"There it is," he said excitedly to Levi.

"Look at that bigass land."

"It was mom's idea to own a farm."

Their journey home was a long one. Eren worried that Captain wouldn't make it quarter-way through before he'd want out the cramped school bus. Surprisingly, the man kept himself distracted with origami. He quickly taught himself the process and had been busying folding cranes lately. Eren was befuddled by the sudden interest—what for, he'd ask.

No surprise, Captain kept quiet.

"They're...bright gold," Captain voiced his observations of the trees lining along their fence.

"Wait 'till you head down to the conservation. Stunning view."

Before Eren even reached the porch, his mother swung the door open. She outstretched her arms, demanding her son's embrace.

"Oh my sugar-sweet! How are you?" Karla kissed Eren on both sides, pinching his cheeks in the process. "You've gotten got skinnier since I last saw you, have you been eating well?"

"Mom please," Eren begged, glancing at Captain who wasn't hiding his amusement. Karla looked at him and immediately switched over, pulling the man into a welcome hug. Stunned was an understatement when it came to Captain's reaction, poor man stood still in Karla's embrace, as if he was afraid of touching her.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you!"

"This is...umm," Eren stilled, suddenly how he needed to address Captain a different name. He blurted out the first name that came up. "Levi. Ackerman. He's my, uhh, TA from school."

Captain was unfazed, remaining surprisingly silent during the whole ordeal. He kept a fixed eye on Eren's mom with a pensive expression.

Eren took it as a go-ahead for his given alias, but with discomfort. Calling Captain 'Levi' seemed inappropriately informal, too _intimate_. He should've thought ahead, practiced or something. His family would definitely question why voicing out a simple name would cause Eren to stammer and redden—they'd question their relationship.

What _was_ their relationship? Acquaintance? Friends? Companions sharing a special bond formed by the mysteries of the universe that literally defined all laws of physics and reality? Eren never looked into it. All this time, he had just been _comfortable_ in Captain's presence. He'd never really questioned Captain's existence. It just seemed right.

It was hard to define; unlike he and Levi's relationship. Student and TA, senior and underclassman. He guessed they were more than just acquaintances. Friends perhaps...or well. That day in the library definitely took an unexpected direction.

Eren wasn't so sure anymore, and he stood lost in thought until his mom called out to him. Captain was already inside, struggling against another quirky member of the Jaeger family. Their four year-old Great Pyrenees, when on his hind paws, could easily match up to an adult's height and Captain was no exception.

Eren enjoyed a small laugh as the put-off soldier pulled his face back as far as possible to avoid the dog's eager licking.

"MooMoo down."

The huge canine withdrew from Levi, nuzzling Mikasa's hand before proceeding to attack Eren. His sister and Captain shared a mutual nod, assessing each other in the silent process, Captain holding a foreign look in his observation. They exchanged a few words and Eren smacked himself for not preparing Captain enough. Mikasa spared the detailed questions, but he knew dinnertime would be a different story.

"He looks old for a TA," she commented to Eren while Captain was introduced to their dad.

"Don't be rude," Eren said, "He's a prof-to-be, just wait."

"Waiting." Mikasa cracked a smile. "Seems like a cool person. MooMoo likes him."

Their guardian dog possessed an uncanny quality of suspecting every stranger as an enemy of the family and rarely regarded them in friendly manners. To gain MooMoo's instant approval was a blessing on its own. What was more noteworthy was his sister's partial regard. Mikasa may be over-protective, but her consent meant a lot to Eren.

He went to break off MooMoo, who was latching onto Captain again. "Okay big boy, you can bother him later. C'mon Captain, I'll show you the house."

Mikasa pulled a questioning face. "Captain?"

"Levi! I meant Levi," Eren corrected with an instant blush. He grabbed Captain's hand and scampered upstairs, cursing away at his first, probably not only, blunder.

Once in his room, he shut the door behind him and looked at Captain straight in the eyes. "Okay, your name is Levi Ackerman. You're a TA—that's 'teacher's assistant'—for one of my courses. Basically you teach us shit. You live alone. Don't know how to drive, and if my sister asks, you're in your late 20's okay? 20's, not 30's. 2, not 3."

"I get it, brat. You want me to lie to your family. Did you just thinke that up on the spot?"

"Yes I did. And you make it sound like that's a bad thing."

"Is it not?"

"I don't want to tell them we met through some My Little Pony magic okay?"

"You don't have a pony."

Eren muffled a groan into his palms.

"Stop shitting yourself, soldier. I'm not going to fuck up in front of your family."

Captain walked over and picked up a small family portrait on his desk. He held it reverently, studying the people in the photo. "This is your family. Your mom."

The brunet gave Captain a questioning look, unsure of what he just murmured. The man held a tinge of remorse in his eyes. The way he spoke had a tone of familiarity and something else that Eren didn't recognize. _Something that Captain knew and he didn't. _And Eren wanted to ask. Wanted to know.

"Captain? What about your Eren? ...His family?"

"My Eren..."

He didn't receive an answer. Supposed he never would.

.-.

Karla had prepared all of Eren's favourites, in addition to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner. It wasn't often that he returned home in the middle of a semester so she wanted to spoil the heck out of him.

He joked how she was trying to fatten him up.

"That's the point, now eat up," ordered Karla turned her attention to Captain. "So Levi, how's my boy doing in class?"

The raven spared Eren a quick glance before replying, "Up to par, not falling behind."

"That's good to hear. Eren's always mentioned how much he loves your discussions. 'Very riveting', he says. The boy practically idolizes you!"

"Mom please." Eren slunk in his seat, embarrassed how Karla was exploiting his admiration for Levi. He really hoped Captain would think nothing of it.

Karla ignored her son and continued. "So what do you do in your tutorials? I'm a bit interested."

"I teach shit."

Eren spat out a chunk of carrot and looked over to Captain aghast. He expected him to be frank but not this shameles. Mikasa raised her eyebrows in half-interest while their dad looked over his newspaper to watch the scene unfold. Grisha was a quiet man who stood in the background; it was usually Karla who'd do the talking.

And right now, she's a little speechless, sitting gawkily with her mouth in a shape of a little 'o'.

"He covers additional contents not covered in class, usually we do debates and open-ended discussions," Eren stepped in with a nervous laugh. "Levi has a...specific way of talking. Don't mind him."

Karla makes an attempt at a reassuring smile. "Well we don't judge in this family. Be yourself, Levi. I want you to be comfortable when you're under this roof."

"Mom hates swearing though," Mikasa quipped. Captain acknowledged her advice. There was a moment of awkward silence and Eren wondered why the hell Captain even wanted to meet his family in the first place.

"You have a nice piece of land," Captain said in an attempt to remedy the situation. "Big enough for the horses."

"Thank you darling. It's a bit much to handle sometimes but still a large reward. Do you ride?"

"Almost every day."

"Oh, your family owns a farm as well?"

Captain held a bitter smirk. "Not exactly."

Karla might've sensed this might be a touchy subject and diverted to other topics. Most of dinnertime was filled with Karla's inquiries and Captain's few-worded answers. Eren stayed quiet most of the time unless needed to intervene and make up fibs about Captain's alternate life. No, no girlfriend; yes, living on his own; almost done his Ph.D thesis; and no, he never went out the country because he hates flying.

To say Captain handled the situation well was an understatement. Eren was a little proud at how calm the man had been the whole time, carrying forth conversations with ease.

"I don't drive. Don't trust those sh—things."

"Seems like you have a fear of transportation," Grisha remarked. "No plane, cars, busses."

"Just use your own two legs, we've got them for a reason. Horses are reliable too."

Eren mentally groaned at Captain's bluntness—there seemed to be no filters in his mind. Though his dad didn't seem to mind, seeing how loud his laughter was.

When dinner was over, Eren offered to help his mother clean up. Grisha pulled Captain away to another room, Mikasa following closely behind. Eren silently thanked his sister for giving him alone time with mom.

"I like this semester a lot better. The courses are more interesting than the last," he said as they washed the dishes.

"As long as you're enjoying them. And learning. Though I have a feeling there's a biased reason behind your preferences."

"Mom no."

"Levi's a nice fellow," Karla continued in a casual tone and Eren figured out where this was going. The woman had a talent for sneaking in irrelevant topics into conversations so smoothly. He concentrated on the dish-drying and tried to keep a nonchalant face.

"Decent human being, yeah."

"Eren, you know what I'm getting at."

"We're friends, mom. He didn't have anyone to spend Thanksgiving with so I just invited him out of the blue. Not a big deal."

"His butt is a big deal, I'll tell you that."

Eren spluttered and lightly slapped his mom's arm. "Mom please, have some restraint."

"I just want you to know that I'm happy that you're happy and be _safe_, alright?"

Eren almost dropped the plate he was drying and turned away groaning. It was a half-façade, he knew. The idea of him and Levi—hearing it tugged the little strings of his heart in weird ways. Him and Levi? Him and Captain?

After the dishes were done, the brunet quickly escaped into the living room. There, Captain was found strolling after their Roomba with hands behind his back, meticulously observing the automatic machine. Eren smiled, knowing Captain would take an instant liking to it.

"Cool huh?"

"Fucking enchanting."

Eren took a seat on the floor next to MooMoo, giving a nice rub through his thick fur. "MooMoo hates it. The thing tried to clean his tail once and that nearly started a civil war. Right boy?"

The large dog woofed and lapped at Eren's face. They heard his mother come in with an apology to Captain. The guest room had turned into MooMoo's toy-room and they couldn't prepare an extra bed in time.

"No worries mom, we can share my room."

"Are you sure? Your room's a little cramped, Eren." Karla had a skeptical smile forming, but the boy wasn't paying attention to what he was saying, given how MooMoo was stealing every bit of his at the moment.

"No biggie, we're used to it."

"Pardon?"

Eren looked up from MooMoo and stuttered with wide eyes, "I-I mean, it's not that big of a deal. I don't mind, you don't mind right Levi?"

"I mind your snoring."

The brunet buried his face into MooMoo's fur.

.-.

Eren listened to the sound of paper rustling. Even on 'vacation', as he'd like to call it, Captain didn't forget his paper cranes. Eren offered to help but he firmly refused, making it seem like a personal goal to fold all those cranes.

The room was dimly illuminated by the desk lamp, and the boy could see the overcasting shadows on the wall beside the bed. He traced Captain's outlines with his fingers—it would help him fall asleep he supposed.

"What would your last words to your family be?"

Eren took a few seconds to register Captain's sudden question, "Well that's a nice bedtime topic."

"What would you say to your parents?"

Rolling over, Eren readjusted his blankets and shrugged at Captain. The bed was offered to the raven but he didn't take it, insisting Eren be more comfortable instead.

"I don't know...'I love you'? 'I'll miss you? Thank you for all you've done?' I don't know, I never thought of that. That's a pretty...morbid thought, Captain."

The man looked up from his crane, the light reflecting off his gray eyes and Eren drew in a short breath. It was a different sensation, seeing another side of Captain that he hadn't seen before. A certain softness in his eyes, like a crack of weakness he was allowed to see in this dead of the night.

"When we leave," murmured Captain, "tell that to them."

"Why?"

"Just do it, soldier."

Eren was too tired to argue, or to think at all. He only managed to give a faint nod before dozing off. He trusted Captain and whatever obscure thoughts he had.

.-.

Nothing felt as refreshing as waking up with the morning sun.

That was a lie—and if one cherished his health and sanity, it'd be best to have a full eight hours of sleep. Unfortunately for Eren and Captain, this was not allowed. Not under MooMoo's watch. Just after the crack of dawn, the dog pounced and attacked and didn't stop until both men were walking about the house and getting ready for their nature-walk.

The conservatory was an hour drive away so Eren suggested Captain get some more shut-eye in the car. Difficult task really, with MooMoo circling on forever in the backseat.

"I didn't know you could maneuver these atrocious things," said Captain, giving Eren and his steering hands a wary look. The brunet was slightly offended—he considered himself a damn good driver amongst his friends. The proud side of him wanted to show off a little this morning, demonstrate his coordination and control over the car to Captain.

"No need to during school. And stop looking at me like that, I can handle this baby just fine."

His request was in vain; but after a long assessment, Captain eventually decided his life was in decent hands and finally turned his heads away to enjoy the surrounding scenery.

It was easy to enter nature's backyard when one lived outside the city—a ten minute drive anywhere and soon, earth's colours would spring along the sidelines of the road. Uneven formation of the landscape made the drive a more adventurous one. Those moments of steep hills especially, brought excited barks out of MooMoo, and Eren responded with a light step on the gas when they zoomed down.

Gleeful laughter escaped the boy as he enjoyed the airy sensation that gravity allowed them to feel. There were rare times when just the right amount of force and speed were applied and his stomach flipped a 180 degrees from the G-force.

"Is this how it feels when you're flying across the sky, Captain?" Eren asked after zooming down a particularly tall hill.

"This is nothing, don't even compare."

Eren gave a suggestive smile. "Maybe you should take me for a spin? It's only fair."

Captain didn't answer, only propped his chin on his upright elbow and looked out the passenger window.

It was a bright and sunny day, no hovering clouds that dulled the radiant shades of autumn. This year, Mother Nature was exceptionally kind to them. After a rather wet summer, the abundance of rainwater reflected through the maple trees that flooded this land. Warm colours painted their surroundings—blazing red, crisp yellow, golden orange, and sometimes if one was lucky, a rare dash of juicy purple.

Eren now could understand Captain's earlier concern for his safety—it was hard to concentrate on the wheel when a full-grown tree covered in red flashed by. He looked over to his side, noting Captain's lack of sound and found him completely entranced. The slight gape of his mouth only added to the dreamy state his eyes held.

"Captain? You look like you've never seen the autumn leaves before," teased Eren.

"Not this much," the other murmured. "Never so many colours before. I have never seen so.._many_."

The tiny curl at the corner of his lips did weird turns to Eren's chest. It was wonder after wonder, something magical every day for Captain and the overwhelming marvel was lighting up his once dull eyes. The colours of life started to reflect off him—red, orange, yellow..._blue_. That faint smile brought his eyes out even more. Captain was...

"Stunning," the raven remarked, "This is stunning."

He couldn't agree more though Eren found himself asking, "there aren't that many trees in your world?"

"Here and there. Fuck tons of houses in the walls and bigass pinecone trees outside. I don't pay attention to what colours are sprouting every season."

A bark cut their conversation short. Eren rolled his eyes and hushed MooMoo, turning the car into the conservation entrance. He rolled the car to a stop in the parking area. His great white dog was released after much scratching and whining and he bounced around the parking lot in full energy. Eren grabbed a leash and spare plastic bags and off they went.

MooMoo led the walk. He knew just where to go, where to sniff, where to mark his scent, and at whom to bark at. Eren called him out for bothering the birds but the beast ignored the master.

"Care to explain why 'MooMoo' ruled out all the other ridiculous names?" Captain asked

Eren sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck while answering, "it was my idea. But I had a good reason!"

"I'm sure you did, like always."

"We got him when he was still an untrained puppy. So he liked to run around the farm and it was hard for us to catch him. One night we thought we lost the dope but then we heard our cows moo, and there he was, howling along." Eren chuckled at the memory. "He wanted to be one of them. And afterwards in the mornings and evenings, MooMoo would go into the field and howl with the cows."

Captain gave MooMoo a wary look. "Cute little beast."

Eren called the Pyrenees back and bent down to rub the dog's ears. "My little beast." He noticed the spot from where MooMoo had just came from and scrunched his nose. His little beast took a beastly poop and it was Eren's duty to clean it up. "Now it's my turn, Captain."

"To what, take a dump?"

"No stupid, to ask you a question."

"This isn't some interrogation."

"You're an idiot. I just want to know more about you."

"I'm Humanity's Strongest, an apathetic soldier who kills flesh-eating titans. That's all there is."

Eren stood and turned to look at Captain seriously. "_You_, Captain. Not the legendary hero from the book. What do you like? Hate? Hobbies, interests? Pet-peeves? What's your _name_? Is it just Captain like how the narrator in the book calls you? In fact, who the hell is the narrator?"

"How the hell would I know? I see no names in there. Just a bunch of 'Captain's, and 'he's and 'she's and 'they's and 'we's." Captain paused. "Where did you get the name 'Levi'?"

"Hmm? Oh, my TA. His name is Levi Ackerman."

Captain looked like he wanted to ask something but held himself back. When Eren knew he was getting nothing, he moved onto his next question.

"So, um, the sudden passion in paper-cranes? Is it really that fun?"

"So damn nosy." Captain took a glance at Eren's pout. "Everything has a purpose, soldier."

"Can...I help?"

"No."

"Touchy."

Faraway rustling from deep within the forest reached their ears as the cool autumn breeze glided over. A sparse wave of leaves blew from their branches and twirled around them. MooMoo barked excitedly and jumped in an attempt to catch one with his mouth. Captain on the other hand, took a silent sweep of his surroundings. The forest stretched for miles around, an extensive spread of land no doubt. For a second, there was bitterness his gaze.

"Captain?"

His head snapped towards Eren, who jumped at his sharp look. The brunet didn't dare avert his eyes, not even a flinch of muscle. Captain's stare turned tense and pained. A storm was brewing inside his dark eyes before it disappeared and Eren saw a guarded wall again. Captain broke off and continued his walk down the trail.

What was that?

It was like a different person for a second, Captain as cold Humanity's Strongest, not the man who had warmed up in this world.

It was like he was living through a memory, a sudden recollection.

Something Captain knew, that Eren didn't.

And it had been bothering him for too long.

"Captain," Eren started, two steps behind the man. "What's your Eren like?"

The tiniest falter in his steps, but the soldier kept on walking.

"He as nosy as me? Any good at exterminating titans?"

When he gained no response, discomfort settled in Eren. It was unfair. That Captain knew everything about him yet kept silent about himself—the people in his life, those close to him, dear to his heart, this Eren of probably great importance. A pang shot through Eren's chest. He didn't like seeing Captain's back for so long. A bitter smile struggled to keep its courage.

"Smart as me? Handsome, like me—?"

"He's like you. Just like you."

Eren thought Captain would turn around when he stopped, at least turn his head and look his way. Instead, he was still faced with a back who refused to move for him.

"He's just like me," the boy repeated weakly, "or I'm just like him?"

It seemed the two of them were just standing in the middle of the forest trail forever. Just a few feet apart, yet the distance was greater, Eren knew. He had much to walk before fully stepping in someone else's shoe.

"You said he was kidnapped, and you were searching for him. What happened?"

"The bad guys got him. What else? Climax of the story."

"Did you read the entire story?"

"No."

"Why don't you? Any information could help you win."

"Win what."

"The war."

"Winning doesn't mean not losing."

Eren pulled back, not fully understanding Captain's cryptic words. "Of course it does."

"Eren I don't want to know shit that I shouldn't. I don't need to fuck things up."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Eren shouted.

Why was he feeling so angry?

"Don't you want to rid all the titans from your world?! Why not use whatever secrets obviously recorded in the book and just do that?"

"That may as well change everything."

"You're not making sense! You're talking as if the story's dynamic or something!"

Captain suddenly whirled around and stalked up to Eren until they stood chest-to-chest. "Listen soldier, it is _ever-changing_. One little greedy blunder can make _everything_ disappear. Your _world_ can disappear."

Eren furrowed his eyebrows, now completely lost as to where his universe came to play all of a sudden. Captain's raging eyes cooled down to guarded ones again, lips forming a thin line.

"I make choices that I know I won't regret."

.-.

For once in his life, Eren had competition in the family.

The college student watched with a helpless smile as his mother hogged Captain for the longest time. MooMoo was circling around them, letting out little whines and rubbing at Captain's legs, despite his discomfort. It was finally time for the two of them to go back but two members of the Jaeger family were a little reluctant to separate.

"You're always welcome here, hear that Levi? Visit us whenever you want."

Eren raised his eyebrows. It was like they were completely smitten with the man and it was only their first meeting. Captain nodded nevertheless, then turned to Eren with a look of expectation. The brunet blinked, was he supposed to do something? Captain motioned towards his parents and then he remembered. The stupid promise he made half-asleep.

Eren stepped up, noticing Captain moving back to give them a little space. "Uhh, mom and dad, thanks for having us this weekend. It was really nice to be home again."

"Nonsense Eren, no need to thank us. You are always at home in our hearts."

Embarrassment grew red-tomatoes on Eren's cheeks as he averted his gaze and continued his ill-prepared words. "I umm...I guess I just want to say I love you. So much. You've given me everything, and I know I won't ever be able to fully repay you. And I'll miss you during school and—and...I love you."

Karla had a palm over her heart, her doe-eyes moist with emotions. With a small sound, she pulled Eren into a tight embrace and kissed the top of his head. "You big baby, I love you so so _so_ much it hurts. We miss you _every single day_. And what's this talk about paying us back? Just be happy every day and mama and papa are happy got it?"

Eren nodded and broke away flushing. He quickly said goodbye to MooMoo and kissed his sister farewell.

"Be good," she warned, her eyes darting to Captain then back again.

If Captain saw, he didn't acknowledge. Instead, he walked up to Karla and Grisha and tilted his head down in respect.

"Thank you for the stay. It was wonderful." He then looked dead straight into their eyes, determined. "Eren is a great man, and I am lucky to have him on my team. I hope you'll put your trust in me to take care of him."

Eren's parents stood speechless, only nodded like confused fish out of water. Apparently satisfied, Captain moved to Mikasa, gave her a short pat on the head, and headed towards the bus waiting for them on the main street. Eren gave his family his own confused expression and a shrug before bidding farewell. Once on the bus, his questioning stare was kept on Captain before the latter finally gave up.

"What."

"You are so damn weird."

Captain ignored him and kept his eyes on the Jaeger farm as the bus drove away. Eren pouted and crossed his arms.

"And I held my dumb promise, said all those embarrassing cheesy stuff to my parents. Happy now?"

"Thank you."

"Sadist, getting off on people's humiliation."

"It's not for me."

.-.

_Then who was it for?_

Eren had wanted to ask, but bit his tongue not to. No more nosy questions for Captain, not after that outburst in the forest. He kept silent on the subject for the rest of the weekend, knowing it'd only anger Captain if he brought it up. Clearly, it was a sensitive area.

Clearly, there was something Captain knew that Eren didn't.

_may as well change everything_

He spoke as if knowing the ending of the story could change the ending itself.

_your world can disappear_

As if a change in the past...would make a change in the future.

But it wasn't possible. What kind of magical, science-fiction, My Little Pony sparkle-crap was that.

...one that had characters popping out of books.

Eren hadn't thought about it. He should think about it. Didn't think do so since...the beginning, which turned into a headache now that he was beginning to think about it. And nothing was coming to fruition from his mindless, directionless thinking-about-it.

And for some bizarre reason, he thought thinking about it with Levi would help.

"Sir?"

The raven looked up from his desk. Their tutorial session just ended and to be honest, it was the first time that Eren stayed after class to talk with the TA since the library incident.

"Jaeger. Want to talk about your book report?"

No, he did not. "Myths are...fiction. They're unreal."

Levi leaned back into his chair, not seeing Eren's point. "No shit."

Right. That should be all the confirmation Eren needed. Except Levi had more to say apparently.

"But who knows, we were never there to witness the creation of its truth or fabrication. I sure as well wasn't. Were you there?"

He witnessed Captain's manifestation up close.

"Do you think...do you think there's a parallel universe?"

"Are you talking quantum physics to me now?"

"You think it's possible for a character to come alive?"

Levi gave him a long, hard stare, full of judgement. "What'd you do over Thanksgiving? Better wash out whatever's in your system Jaeger, I don't tolerate illegal shit.

Eren shook his head with a heated flush. Of course it was stupid. Even though he taught mythology, Levi Ackerman was a realist at heart. What was he doing making a fool of himself asking dumb questions? Stuttering out a farewell, he quickly made a move to remove himself from the premises.

"Eren."

The boy stopped and turned, looking to Levi's lax form with his hands behind his head and feet propped on the table. A smirk spread across his face.

"Open up your mind. Let your imagination run wild."

.-.

**a/n:** my (wonderful) beta pointed out something that i may not have stated clearly. the fairy-tale book never mentioned anyone's names—only referred certain people by their titles (Captain, Female Titan, Commander, Scouting Legion). The entries at the beginning of each chapter never mentioned specific names.

comments greatly appreciated! you can also find me on tumblr if you're up for any chit-chats: **no-other-words**.


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